


30 Days

by stars28



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Gen, Inspired by Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 18,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14307510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stars28/pseuds/stars28
Summary: Jack has loved Alex for a while, and after giving him an anonymous gift on Valentines Day, he's decided to do something about it leading up to Christmas. He can only hope he succeeds.Title credit: 30 Days - Never Shout Never.(Sequel to 'Valentine's Day')





	1. Days 32 & 31: Jack's POV

**Author's Note:**

> 30 Days - Never Shout Never.

_"Who would've thought that someone like me_  
 _Could've fallen in love so easily_  
 _I know that you know that I know what I want_  
 _I know I can't have it but give it a thought_  
 _I know it sounds crazy, baby_  
 _But all I do is think of you..."_  
**\- 30 Days, Never Shout Never.**

* * *

What if he said no, I couldn't help but wonder. I was walking to Alex's house to ask him something, something important. It was snowing and there was Christmas lights up on all the houses on Alex's street, reminding me that it wasn't long until Christmas. Thirty-two days exactly.  
  
I stood for a moment, just looking at the Gaskarth’s house. It had lights hanging from each of the four windows and a wreath on the door. I gulped and walked towards it, knocking on the door in the middle of the wreath. I waited, stupidly nervous, for someone to answer.  
  
The door opened, engulfing me in warm air.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
I smiled, tugging on my black beanie, "Hi Alex."  
  
"Come in," My best friend said, pulling me in by the arm, "We only saw each other a few hours ago, why are you here?"  
  
I gulped again as I took my beanie off. Then I took my coat off and hung it on the coat rack that was to the left of the door, shoving my beanie in a pocket.  
  
"I have to ask you something." I said, watching for Alex's reaction.  
  
"Yeah?" He said, giving me his full attention, "D'you want a hot chocolate?"  
  
"Yes please." I replied, following him into the kitchen.  
  
I sat on the counter, watching his graceful movements as Alex made us two steaming mugs of proper hot chocolate. Once we both had a warm mug clasped in our hands, we went upstairs to Alex's room. As we entered, he automatically put his iPod docking station on. Music blared out and I recognized it instantly. It was Green Day's "Fell for You." Ironic, considering what I wanted ask to him.  
  
"You said you wanted to ask me something?" Alex said, sipping on his hot chocolate.  
  
"Err... Yeah I did," I said, nervously twisting my fingers into the hem of my t-shirt, "Err... Well, I kinda wanted to ask if...if..."  
  
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be that bad, so just ask me," Alex winked, "So long as it isn't asking me to help you hide a body."  
  
I laughed, some of the tension from my shoulders draining away, leaving me with a heart that was beating twice its normal rate. I was sure Alex could hear it.  
  
"It isn't that, but it is important. To me anyway, I don't know if it will be to you, but I have to ask right?" I said in one breath.  
  
"Just ask me already!"  
  
I took a big breath and then I asked, "Alex, can I, like, court you I guess? Until Christmas Day?"  
  
Alex blinked and didn't say anything.  
  
"I shouldn't've asked you," I said, putting the hot chocolate down and scrambling for the door, tripping over several things that were on Alex's bedroom floor in my hurry, "This was a bad idea. I'm sorry for asking, yeah I'll go now."  
  
Once I was outside, huddled in my warm coat and hat, I cursed myself and my stupid feelings that shouldn't even exist. I didn't know when love had crept into my side of the friendship, but it had and I felt like it was natural, like I was meant to fall for Alex. I could remember the first time I'd seen him.

* * *

_It was nineth grade and I was waiting for my class to begin. I was leant back in my chair, my feet on the table. The teacher didn't care what we did before class, so long as we paid attention during class._  
  
I was staring into space, not listening to the people around me, when the door creaked open and a boy appeared from around it. I focused on him instead of my thoughts and frowned. He was attractive, I thought, my eyes raking over his body. Skinny, but slightly muscled. This suggested to me that he ran, if he did sport at all. I hoped he wasn't a track-rat. We had enough of those already. What we didn't have enough of were people like me, people with good music taste. He had golden brown hair, kind of like the perfect autumn leaf, and caramel brown eyes that shined with a special something.  
  
I tapped my feet on the desk as the new boy quietly introduced himself to the teacher. After a few moments, the teacher pointed towards me and that's when I remembered that the only spare seat in the class was next to me.  
  
I smiled as he walked to me. I wanted to make a...if not good, then decent, first impression on this attractive boy.  
  
"Hi, my name's Jack." I said as he sat down.  
  
"Alex." He replied, glancing at me before looking towards the front.

* * *

I blinked. I was back at my house. Huh. I must've been so involved in my memory that my feet brought me back here without me noticing. Definitely not the first time that has happened whilst walking back from Alex's.  
  
I went in and was greeted by silence. My whole family had gone out for some reason that I can't remember, and as I'd been going to Alex's, I hadn't been invited. Nice of them.  
  
But at least they couldn't ask questions about how I was and what I did at Alex's. I wouldn't have lie completely - they know I'm gay - but they don't know I have a thing for my (painfully) straight best friend. And talking about how he rejected me isn't the thing I want to do.  
  
I took my coat off and went into the kitchen to make myself a mug of coffee, which only reminded me of the hot chocolate I'd left at Alex's. He always made such good hot chocolate. I thought it was something to with the fact that he was English.  
  
I took my coffee, warming my cold hands on the mug, upstairs to my room. When I got there, I turned my music on and sat on my bed, wondering if Alex hated me now. God, I hoped that he didn’t, but you never know after asking someone you’ve known for years if you can ‘court’ them. I felt guilty – if Alex did hate me then it would fuck up with our friendship with Rian and Zack – but at the same time, I felt relieved that I’d finally asked him something that had been playing on my mind since February, since I gave him that anonymous Valentine’s gift. I kind of wanted to do the same thing leading to Christmas, give anonymous gifts and see if Alex liked them, but after a few weeks debating with myself, I decided to put myself in the open and ask him.  
  
Pressing the button of the iPod docking station remote, I changed the music to ‘Dammit’ by blink-182. I felt like I needed to disappear into the world of music for a while, so after finishing my coffee, I laid back on my bed and allowed my mind to drift.

* * *

It was officially one day until it was thirty days till Christmas. I wasn’t look forward to it. Alex hadn’t called or even texted me since yesterday, which convinced me that he wasn’t speaking to me.  
  
I willed up a weak smile for my Mum as she gave me a hug before I went to school. I was dreading it, I would have to fake my way through seeing Alex, as though he _hadn’t_ broken my heart yesterday. But I would do it, if only for Rian and Zack.  
  
“Bye Mum!” I yelled as I left, picking up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.  
  
“Bye Jack!” She called just as the front door shut behind me.  
  
I walked to school with my headphones in, as usual, ignoring the world. I didn’t want to think about Alex or how he would react to seeing me. My heart couldn’t take it, not after how much fucking courage it took for me to ask him.  
  
I walked into school and went to my locker.  
  
“Hey Jack! Wait up!”  
  
I turned around, it was Rian. I smiled.  
  
“Hey Rian.”  
  
“Hey, where’s Alex?”  
  
I glanced around and shrugged as I answered, “I dunno.”  
  
“What?! I thought that you guys were attached at the hip or something.” Rian joked.  
  
I laughed weakly, “Yeah.”

* * *

I hadn’t seen Alex since yesterday and it was now lunch. From my position on the stairs leading up to the upstairs dining area, I couldn’t see the distinctive hair of Alex. It was one thing that I could do without concentrating, besides playing my guitar. My gaze was wandering around making another circuit of the room when my phone rang. I took it out of my hoodie pocket and answered.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Jack?”  
  
“Alex?” I said in shock, “Where are you?”  
  
“I’m…”  
  
I heard footsteps and looked up. Alex was stood in front of me.  
  
“Hey.” I said, trying not to let my feelings get in the way of my voice.  
  
“Jack… About yesterday…” He started to say before I cut him off.  
  
“It’s fine, it was only me being hopeful. You don’t have to make excuses, not to me when I was the one who made you feel…uncomfortable, I guess.”  
  
“Jack, you didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, it was just a bit of a shock I guess,” Alex said, sitting next me, his thighs brushing mine, “But now that I’ve had time to think…”  
  
My head perked up imperceptibly, “Yeah?”  
  
“I’ve decided to give you a chance.”  
  
A grin spread over my face, “Really?” I asked, barely able to believe my luck.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
I pulled him into a tight hug, only letting him go when he began to complain about the lack of oxygen in his lungs. I let him go and laughed.  
  
I had a chance to get Alex – the guy I had been in love with since tenth grade – to love me back. As more than just a best friend. I couldn’t believe my luck.


	2. Day 30: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just One Yesterday - Fall Out Boy.

_“I don't have the right name_   
_Or the right looks_   
_But I have twice the heart…”_   
**– Just One Yesterday, Fall Out Boy.**

* * *

When Jack approached me yesterday, I honestly wasn’t sure what to think. But after the night and the morning spent thinking hard, I’d decided to accept his offer of ‘courting’, if only not to hurt his feelings. He was my best friend, and if he also liked me, then that was fine.  
  
After saying hi to Rian, Zack and Jack, I went to my locker and opened it. Sitting on top of my books, there was a small wrapped box complete with a red bow. I picked it up and tossed it from hand to hand a couple of times. It rattled. I put it in my bag along with the books I’d need for classes and promptly forgot about it.

* * *

At lunch, I talked to Jack, Rian and Zack about the possibility of starting our own band. We were pretty good, doing covers of blink, but I felt that we could stretch ourselves and start doing some of our own stuff. I mean, I’d already written a couple of things.  
  
Jack loudly agreed with me before wolfing down his sandwich and then standing up. He said that he had a detention, which didn’t surprise any of us.  
  
“What’s it for this time Jack?” Rian asked, not even looking up from his lunch.  
  
“Something about ‘class is not the time to listen to music’?”  
  
I laughed, “Typical!”  
  
Jack smiled at me. I smiled back and then he announced that he really had to go.  
  
“See ya Jack!” I yelled after him.  
  
Jack raised a hand in acknowledgement before disappearing from my sight entirely as he left the lunch room.

* * *

When I got home, I was tired and wanted to do nothing more than just collapse into my bed and sleep. But that wasn’t going to happen, not when most of my teachers had given us essays to write. I groaned and went to get coffee from the kitchen. I was going to need it if my memory of the homework served me right.  
  
I went upstairs, taking my bag and cup of coffee with me, after talking with my parents for a few minutes. I slung my bag on my desk and sat down at the chair. When I fumbled through the mess that was my backpack, I found a wrapped present. I frowned before remembering this morning, when I found it in my locker.  
  
I opened it, ripping the bow off and tearing the paper to find a plain cardboard box. I opened the box and found, nestled in some blue tissue paper, a key ring. I held it up and realised that it was a blink-182 key ring.  
  
Jack always did know me well. Smiling, I attached it to my backpack and settled down to do some homework, putting some New Found Glory quietly in the background.


	3. Day 29: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First One - Boys Like Girls.

_“Your first love_   
_Yeah, you're so young…”_   
**\- The First One, Boys Like Girls.**

* * *

I was pleased that my first gift hadn’t been scorned. It had been an impulse buy at the mall earlier on in the month. In fact, Alex had come to school with the key ring dangling off his backpack. I’d grinned so widely that Rian asked what was up.  
  
“Nothing.” I said, unable to stop grinning.

* * *

“Hey Alex!” I yelled down the corridor, much to the amusement of the boy being addressed, judging by the way he cracked up in laughter at the other end of the corridor.  
  
He waved, smiling widely, and then began to push his way down towards me. I watched his progress.  
  
When he reached me, Alex said, “Hey to you as well Jack.”  
  
I laughed, leaning against my locker while Alex retrieved a book from his locker, “It was funny, and you can’t deny that. I saw you laughing.”  
  
“That’s true.”  
  
 _God, I love him,_ I thought, a wave of adoration rushing though me.  
  
Before I could reply, the bell went and we were shoved in opposite directions. Just before he went completely out of sight, I saw him mouth something, but I had no idea what it was, so before I got to my next class (Geography – one of the few classes Alex and I didn’t have together) I texted him.  
  
My phone buzzed as I sat down at my usual table at the back of the classroom. I got my phone out and opened the text.  
  
 _Btw, do u wanna chat l8er?? ;)_  
  
With a grin lighting up my face, I texted back.  
  
 _Yeah! Where? :D_  
  
A few minutes later, as I was beginning the first task that had been set by my teacher, my phone when off again.  
  
 _Behind scool. C u then._  
  
My fingers flew across the keyboard.  
  
 _C u then Lex._  
  
As my brain registered what I’d just sent to Alex, my eyes widened. I’d only ever dreamed about calling him ‘Lex’, I’d never actually done it. I was crazy, this one slip up had fucked up this ‘courting’ shit up before it had even begun properly. Which reminded me, I hadn’t actually sorted out today’s gift. Shit. Looks like it would have to be a crappy muffin from the canteen. Not very remarkable, if I was trying to impress Alex.

* * *

Double chocolate muffin in one hand (I’d bribed Rian to go and buy a decent one for me – must remember that I owe him) and iPod in the other, I rounded the back of the school building. I found Alex sitting on the low brick wall, dark brown hair blowing in the slight wind and his eyes fixed on something that I couldn’t see. But then his eyes flicked upwards to me and a grin spread over his face.  
  
I always thought that Alex smiling was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (And, yes, I’m allowed to be that fucking sappy – I’m in love with the guy after all.)  
  
“Hey Alex.” I greeted, handing him the muffin.  
  
“Why have you given me this?” Alex asked in confusion, though that didn’t stop him from tearing a piece off and shoving it in his mouth.  
  
I shrugged, “Why not?”  
  
It was quiet for a few minutes while Alex continued to eat the muffin. He offered me some which I accepted. It was a good muffin.  
  
“Oh!” Alex said.  
  
I looked at him. I had been watching the pigeons fly from the roof to the field and back again.  
  
“What?” I asked.  
  
“You gave me this,” He held up the empty wrapper, “Because of the ‘courting’ thing, didn’t you?”  
  
I nodded, “Yeah, I did.”  
  
“Well, I liked it.” Alex smiled.  
  
“Good.”  
  
“Oh, by the way,” He said, just as my eyes began to slip close, “Why did you call me ‘Lex’ earlier in your text?”  
  
 _Oh shit!_ I thought, blushing red.  
  
Trying to maintain a casual air, I shrugged, “It just came to me. You don’t mind, do you?”  
  
It was silent, barring the noise coming from the school building as the last few stragglers made their way home, before Alex decided to speak.  
  
“It’s fine, it’s just, we’ve never really had nicknames before have we?”  
  
“No, I guess not.” I said quietly, picking at a hole in my jeans. I probably needed to get a new pair, but I didn’t like throwing away a pair that had a few more months’ worth of wearing in them.  
  
Alex’s fingers gently pulled my chin up so I was looking at him. Fuck, he has beautiful eyes.  
  
“Jack, honestly it’s fine,” He said, looking me in the eyes, “I actually like it.”  
  
A smiled bloomed on my face without waiting for my permission.  
  
“Thank God,” I said, relieved, standing up, “Shall we go home Lex?”  
  
“Sure Jacky.”  
  
 _Holy fucking hell,_ I thought, _He had a nickname for me!_


	4. Day 28: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One - U2.

_“One love_  
_One life_  
_When it's one need…”_  
**\- One, U2.**

* * *

It was Saturday, and I was bored. I’d done all my homework during the week so I wouldn’t have to spend my weekend doing it, but now I kind of regretted doing that.  
  
“There’s nothing to do!” I groaned as I flopped on to the couch.  
  
“Why don’t you dye your hair?” My Mum suggested from where she was hoovering the carpet, “You’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”  
  
I bolted upright and managed to fall on the floor, shouting, “I’ve gotta call Jack!”  
  
My Mum only laughed, she knew me and Jack well.  
  
_But apparently not enough, if a thing like Jack asking to court me went unnoticed,_ I thought absentmindly, as I went upstairs for my phone.  
  
Once I had my mobile, I called Jack.  
  
“Lex?” He mumbled.  
  
“Hey Jack,” I said, unable to control my excitement, “Are you doing anything important?”  
  
“Just homework, and that can wait,” Jack said, laughing, “What’s up?”  
  
“D’you wanna come to mine and help me dye my hair?” I asked, twirling my hair with a finger.  
  
“Yeah, sure! Give me like half an hour and I’ll be there.”  
  
“Ok.”  
  
Before I could hang up, Jack said, “Lex, make us some hot chocolate?”  
  
I laughed, “Ok Jacky. See you in a bit.”  
  
After hanging up and finding the hair dye that had disappeared into my bedroom – which alone took fifteen minutes, considering how messy my room was – I went back downstairs to the kitchen. I began to get the ingredients out for hot chocolate. I was opening a cupboard for a pan when my Mum came in. I heard her chuckle.  
  
“Jack asked you to make hot chocolate?” She said.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“And you just do it?”  
  
I shrugged, “Well, yeah. He is my best friend.”  
  
“Ok then.” My mum replied and then disappeared from the room.  
  
By the time the hot chocolate was almost ready, Jack was sitting on the counter waiting.  
  
“We gonna dye your hair pink?” Jack said, sipping on his mug of hot chocolate that I’d just given him.  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“But pink, really Alex? Pink?”  
  
“Yeah pink.”  
  
He shrugged, “Ok then. But why?”  
  
I took a sip of my drink before answering, “Cause it’ll look cool.” I paused, “I hope.”  
  
Jack’s eyebrows rose, “You hope? You’re dying your hair pink, and you’re ‘hoping it’ll look cool’?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“You’re crazy, you know that?”  
  
I nodded, “I knew that a while back.”  
  
“Ok, let’s do this.” He said, standing up and putting his now empty mug down on the kitchen counter.  
  
I followed him upstairs to the bathroom, grabbing the packet of hair dye from my room where I’d put it on my desk as I passed. When I got to the bathroom, Jack was sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, waiting for me.  
  
“I thought you’d gotten eaten by dinosaurs!” Jack said, standing up.  
  
“Dinosaurs Jack? Really?” I replied, raising an eyebrow, “In Baltimore?”  
  
“It could happen!” He protested as he took the hair dye off me and began to squirt it into the bowl he’d just acquired from somewhere.  
  
I shook my head at my friend’s randomness and then sat on the side of the bath, giving Jack a little bit more room. I daydreamed until Jack said my name.  
  
I looked up from where I’d been studying the tile pattern and said, “Yeah?”  
  
“Come here.”  
  
Obediently I got up and went to the sink, which Jack was standing next to. He gestured for me to sit down on the stool that he’d put in front of the sink. I did and he draped an old towel around my shoulders. I was only wearing an old purple t-shirt, but I appreciated Jack’s gesture nonetheless.  
  
I felt long fingers gently carding through my hair, causing me to rest against the sink.  
  
“How d’you want the pink?” Jack asked.  
  
I opened my eyes, not even realising that I’d closed them to start with, and replied, “Like across the front and towards the back on my left side.”  
  
“Ok got it.” Jack said. His fingers stopped brushing through my hair.  
  
I felt Jack carefully tease away any leftover tangles with a comb and then he separated the hair that I wanted dyeing from the hair that I didn’t. I closed my eyes again as Jack clipped hair grips into my hair and began to apply the dye to the roots outwards to the ends of my hair. I relaxed into the rhythmic movements of Jack’s fingers until he broke the comfortable silence with a question.  
  
“Lex, is this temporary or semi-permanent?”  
  
“Err…can’t remember. Semi-permeant I think?”  
  
“Makes sense, you don’t wanna go permeant with your first try.”  
  
I hummed in agreement.  
  
After a few peaceful minutes of spreading the dye evenly in my hair, Jack stopped and lightly slapped me on the cheek.  
  
“Mmhm?”  
  
“We’ve gotta wait half an hour for the dye to do its thing,” Jack said, holding a plastic bag, “If we put this on your head, we can go out of this bathroom.”  
  
I shrugged, “Sure, go for it.”  
  
He tied the bag around my head and washed his hands. I got up and walked towards the door.  
  
“Shit.”  
  
“What Jack?” I said, turning from the door.  
  
In answer, he held up his hands. They were stained pink. I couldn’t help it – I laughed.  
  
“Stop laughing!” Jack demanded, even as he joined in.  
  
When we finally stopped laughing, we went downstairs and I made us another mug of hot chocolate each. We went back upstairs to my room and drank our drinks, talking about everything and anything that came into our heads until the time was up.  
  
Just before we went into the bathroom, Jack stopped me. I looked at him and was blinded by a flash.  
  
“Not fair!”  
  
He laughed, “Totally fair.” He waved his phone in front of my face, “Perfect blackmail material.”  
  
I pouted but Jack continued to laugh. I sat on the stool and let Jack, now that he’d stopped laughing, to tenderly wash the hair dye out. The dye gradually washed out with Jack’s fingers teasing it out, leaving me with my desired pink fringe and side. After handing me a towel, he sat on the side of the bath and watched as I dried my hair.  
  
“What?” I asked once I’d finished and we were going down the stairs. He was staring at me, his brown eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.  
  
Jack shook his head, “Doesn’t matter.”  
  
I stopped on the stair I was standing on, “I won’t move unless you tell me.”  
  
“Ok then, I’ll tell you,” He replied, “You – you look fucking hot man.”  
  
I smiled, “Thanks Jacky.”  
  
He blushed before pushing me aside so he could continue walking down the stairs. I followed him, thinking.  
  
It wasn’t the first time Jack had given me a complement, but it was the first time that he’d done it when I’d been aware of his…attraction to me. It was nice, to know someone cared for me, because sometimes it felt like no one did.  
  
“See ya Lex.” Jack said, shaking me out of my thoughts.  
  
“Bye Jack.” I replied, waving as he left, shutting the door behind him.


	5. Day 27: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free Now - Sleeping With Sirens.

_“Can I be a man?_   
_One that understands_   
_How to love more patiently_   
_I am free now…”_   
**\- Free Now, Sleeping With Sirens.**

* * *

I’d texted Alex yesterday, after we’d dyed his hair, asking if he wanted to go for a meal out. Nowhere posh, neither of us would be any good at that and besides, I’m kind of on a limited income, so tacos at Taco Bell it would have to be. I didn’t mind, I liked tacos, but I thought it was best to ask Lex. So I’d asked if that was alright with Alex and he’d said yeah.  
  
So that brings me to now, walking with Alex to the nearest Taco Bell, which was in town.  
  
“My hands are still pink you know?” I said, holding my hands up to show Lex, “And I blame you.”  
  
“But Jack,” He pouted, “My hair looks so good.”  
  
“True, true.” I agreed, nodding, “But that doesn’t change the fact that my hands are pink and it’s your fault!”  
  
“No it isn’t!” Alex sing-songed, skipping ahead of me.  
  
I simply shook my head at his antics, being too used to them to be bothered, before catching up with him and sliding my arm through his. We skipped the rest of the way, arm in arm.  
  
When we got there, about fifteen minutes later, I insisted on paying, and Alex let me – after much protesting.  
  
“Me doth think the lady protest too much.” I said, looking up at the board that showed the opinions.  
  
My next words were, “Ow fuck Alex!” as he punched me hard on the arm.  
  
He laughed at my pain. I frowned.  
  
 _His laugh is pure gold,_ I thought, stepping behind Alex as he moved forward, towards the counter, where an employee was smiling at us.  
  
“What’s your order?” The employee asked, glancing between me and Alex.  
  
I stated my order and stepped back, letting Alex order his food. When the employee told us how much it would cost, I pushed Alex to the side and paid, ignoring his protests. The food came, I picked up the tray and walked over to the nearest clear table. We sat down and began to eat.  
  
I watched Alex eat his with obvious relish, and wondered why buying food for him made me feel so good. I let a smile form on my lips just before I took a bite of my taco. I moaned, it was so good.  
  
“Stop making sex noises Jack,” Alex said, swallowing a bite of food, “We’re in a family restaurant.”  
  
I shrugged, “Eh. They’re getting the full package. Almost.”  
  
He laughed, almost choking on his mouthful of food.  
  
“What we gonna do at band practice tomorrow?” I asked.  
  
“Well, I’ve got a few songs that I’ve written…”  
  
“Oh yeah? Tell me.” I said.  
  
The rest of the meal passed in a conversation about Alex’s songs that he’d written. I thought that was amazing, I knew I’d never be able to write anything.


	6. Day 26: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forget About It - All Time Low.

_“There are some days where I really feel_  
_Like this could work;_  
_Like you and I are finally gonna get it right…”_  
**\- Forget About It, All Time Low.**

* * *

“Alex, can’t you be bothered to carry your own guitar?” Zack asked.  
  
I smiled and said, “Jack offered.”  
  
And that was true, when we’d got out of Jack’s dad’s car, Jack had said that, instead of me trying to carry my guitar and not slipping on the ice underfoot, he’d carry them in.  
  
“It’s true.” Jack said, entering the basement behind me, holding our guitars.  
  
“You see?”  
  
“Ok, I get it. But I still want to know why Jack offered in the first place,” Rian said, moving his gaze from me to Jack, “You don’t normally do things like that.”  
  
From where I was standing, I could see the hurt that crept onto Jack’s face, so I jumped in.  
  
“He does. All the time,” I said, thinking that what I was saying was true, “It’s just you guys never really see it.”  
  
The slight blush on Jack’s face made me glad that I’d spoken up for him. I smiled at him as he gave me my guitar. I then leant it up against the wall, next to Zack’s bass and Jack’s guitar. Rian’s drum set was at the back in the middle of the room.  
  
“Thanks Lex.” He said quietly as Rian and Zack went over to the side of the room where there was a few beanbags next to the wall.  
  
“It’s fine Jack.”  
  
“C’mon Alex!” Rian said, sitting down on one of the brightly coloured beanbags, “You said you had new stuff to sing!”  
  
“That’s true!” I said, going over to the beanbags that were “Well, I came up with this one the other week,” I blushed a little, always nervous about sharing my lyrics with the guys, “It’s called _Memories That Fade Like Photographs_.”  
  
I gave the sheet to Jack first, who skimmed over it and then passed it to Zack. I didn’t take offence at the fact that Jack barely looked at it; he always preferred it when I sung it after everyone had looked at it. Once Zack had finished looking at it, he gave it to Rian, who took a long look at it and then gave it back to me.  
  
“One question before you sing it Alex,” Zack said, “Why are your hands pink Jack?”  
  
Jack grinned and pointed at my hair.  
  
“You can’t blame me!” I protested, “It’s not like I forced you to dye it. You offered.”  
  
Jack shrugged and said, “Whatever Alex. You gonna sing or what?”  
  
“Yes I am.” I said before taking a breath and looking down at the paper in my hands. I began to sing.  
  
_“I said I'd never forget your face  
Vaulted away inside my head  
And memories never seem to fade  
You were the best part of my life, my last regret  
  
Now I've walked this line a thousand times before  
It hurts too much to bear  
For you, I'd tear out my own heart  
And write our names together…”_  
  
I looked at Rian and Zack. They were smiling, but refrained from commenting until I was done.  
  
_“Your love is the barrel of a gun  
So tell me, am I on the right end?  
I could be nothing but a memory to you  
Don't let this memory fade away  
  
And in the end, we're turning on and off again  
There's a look in your eye  
And it's screaming "goodbye"  
I'd hate to watch you cry…”_  
  
Then I looked at Jack, who was staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth, which he quickly shut when he saw that I was looking. Huh. Probably because of the content of the song. I continued.  
  
_“Your love is the barrel of a gun  
So tell me, am I on the right end?  
I could be nothing but a memory to you  
Don't let this memory fade away  
  
There's a look in your eye  
And it's screaming "goodbye"  
Now it tears me apart just to look at the sky  
And I'd hate to watch you cry  
I'd hate to watch you cry…”_  
  
I was almost done, just one last verse. I looked down at the paper and sung.  
  
_“Your love is the barrel of a gun_  
 _So tell me, am I on the right end?_  
 _I could be nothing but a memory to you_  
 _Don't let this memory fade away…”_  
  
I smiled as I finished. It was always such a boost to sing for someone other than myself.  
  
“What d’you think?” I asked.  
  
“Awesome!” Rian said, smiling widely, showing off his bright white teeth. How he got them that white, I’ll never know.  
  
“That was really good Alex!” Zack said.  
  
After a few moments, I said, “Jack? What’s your opinion?” because he hadn’t said anything yet and normally, he’s the first one to praise me.  
  
“It was – it was good. Like really, really good,” He said, looking me in the eye, “I liked it.”  
  
“Thanks.” I replied, smiling softly.  
  
He shrugged, “It’s ok. It really was good.”  
  
We continued with practice, playing some blink-182 and Green Day songs, but the way Jack had looked stayed with me all the way through. Maybe it was because no one had ever looked at me with such an open expression before.  
  
As I left Rian’s basement, making my way up the stairs, holding my guitar, I kind of wished that Jack would do that more often.


	7. Day 25: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adorable - Artist vs Poet.

_“I lost a step and I'm falling into you_   
_You know exactly what you do…”_   
**\- Adorable, Artist vs Poet.**

* * *

When I turned up on the doorstep of the Gaskarth’s house, holding a DVD in my left hand and a huge bag of popcorn in my right, Alex’s mum ushered me straight in. It had started to snow lightly while I was walking over.  
  
“Hello Jack.” She said, smiling, “You here for Alex?”  
  
“Yeah,” I replied, “That’s what I do.”  
  
She laughed before pointing to the ceiling, “He’s in his room.”  
  
“Cool,” I nodded, heading to the stairs, “Thanks.”  
  
As I went up the stairs, I shifted the bag of popcorn to under my left arm, leaving my right free to turn the bedroom door.  
  
“S’up Lex?” I said, flopping on to Alex’s bed.  
  
My best friend jumped in his chair, “Fucking hell Jack! You scared me!”  
  
I cracked up laughing, it wasn’t the first time I’d scared him, and I’d bet that it won’t be the last.  
  
“Funny though.” I smiled. His brown hair was shining, and it looked beautiful.  
  
“Whatever. Why are you here?”  
  
“Thought you’d want to watch Captain America with me.” I held up the DVD case.  
  
Taking it from me, Alex looked at the back, saying, “Hell yes!”  
  
I shuffled backwards on the bed until I got to the pillows and as Alex put the DVD in his DVD player under his TV, I took the opportunity to admire his ass before getting under the covers. Once the DVD was in and playing, Alex grabbed the remote, turned the lights off and came over.  
  
“Budge up.” He said, shoving me to the side.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Move, or I will sit on you,” Alex threatened, “And you know I will, I’ve done it before.”  
  
I grumbled but moved to let him on the bed nonetheless. Actually, it was nice to share a bed with Alex, although not in _that_ way. (That would be beyond amazing though…)  
  
An elbow poked my side, causing me to flick my eyes to the boy I’d been thinking about.  
  
“What?” I said.  
  
“I’m not comfy.” Was all he said as he shifted himself so my arm was draped around his shoulders, his head was kinda resting against the pillows and my shoulder, and one of his legs was across mine.  
  
I chuckled, “Comfy now Lex?”  
  
He nodded, reached for the remote and pressed play. We settled down to watch the movie.  
  
I sighed happily, this was my sixth gift to Alex and I was glad that he had accepted it as such.


	8. Day 24: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal, All Time Low.

_“What your best friend knows,_   
_I'm never gonna let this go, (what your best friend knows)_   
_What your best friend knows…”_   
**\- Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal, All Time Low.**

* * *

“Alex, what’s that?” Zack asked, pointing at the small sealed envelope that I’d just taken out of my locker I was currently holding in my hand.  
  
I shrugged, feeling Jack’s eyes boring into the side of my head. I slipped it into my back pocket for me to read later, when I wasn’t being cross-examined by my friends.  
  
“Just something.” I replied, wanting to change the subject, “Have you guys done the maths homework?”  
  
As they answered, I could feel the envelope burning a hole through my jeans. I wanted to read it right fucking _then_ , but I couldn’t. I’d have to be patient, which wasn’t one of my strong suits.

* * *

When I got home, I immediately laid on my bed, feet dangling over the edge, and opened the letter. My fingers jammed into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out the now slightly creased envelope. I opened it and read.  
  
 _To Lex,_  
  
 _I can’t believe I’m writing a note for you – liking you has turned me into such a sap. ;)_  
  
 _But in all seriousness, I love the way your eyes light up when you laugh, and the way your voice sounds when you sing._  
  
 _I already knew all this, but being able to ‘court’ you or whatever, has given me a unique sense of how special you are to me._  
  
 _You mean the world to me, you honestly do._  
  
 _“I could tell my life was changing,_  
 _Since the minute I met you…” – New Found Glory._  
  
 _Jack._  
  
As I finished reading it, I breathed out and smiled. Trust Jack to work in a song lyric from New Found Glory. But I thought that the song lyric could be applied to when I first met him as well. I mean, when I met him, I knew that my life was going to change – and while I had an inkling it wouldn’t always be for the better – I had known that it meeting Jack would make my life better in the long run. And I would always be glad that I met him, my life wouldn’t have been what it was now if I hadn’t met Jack.  
  
I got up and pondered Jack’s letter more as I turned my iPod docking station, sliding my iPod on with a practiced hand. The letter was possibly the best thing he’d given me so far, and I couldn’t wait till tomorrow to tell him, so I got my phone out.  
  
I texted quickly _Thks 4 the letter. It was sweet._ and sent it.  
  
In a few minutes my phone buzzed, letting me know that I had a reply. I opened it.  
  
It read: _It’s fine. I enjoyed writing it. :D_  
  
I could imagine Jack blushing on the other end of the phone. I smiled.  
  
Why was that mental image so pleasing to me?


	9. Day 23: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiss Me Kiss Me - 5 Seconds of Summer.

_"Close your eyes you'll be mine and it's alright._   
_Take a breath no rest till the sunrise._   
_Heartbeat so sweet, when your lips touch mine…”_   
**\- Kiss Me Kiss Me, 5 Seconds of Summer.**

* * *

“Jack, it’s too early,” Alex whined from next to me, “Why have you got me up?”  
  
I tugged on his hand, making him walk a little quicker, and said, “Because I’ve got a surprise for you.”  
  
“Is it a bed?” He asked, letting me pull him along, “Because I’m sleepy.”  
  
“No it isn’t.” I laughed. Alex was not a morning person, “But it is better.”  
  
“How can it be better than a bed?”  
  
“Trust me, it is.” I insisted, glancing at the rapidly lightening sky. We needed to hurry if we were going to be in time to see it.  
  
In a few minutes, we had climbed the hill near school and were sitting on one of the blankets I had brought.  
  
“Why are we here?” Alex said, looking out towards the horizon just as the sun began to rise, “Oh fuck. Wow.”  
  
I smiled. I knew that this would be a good idea, despite the whining that Alex had done getting here. It was so worth getting up early, if only to see the expression on Alex’s face as the sun rose. The sunlight lit up Alex’s newly dyed pink fringe perfectly, but of course I was biased, and his eyes shone as they looked at me.  
  
Hang on…looked at me? Why was he looking at me? The whole idea of this was so that… _oh_.  
  
Suddenly, I had no idea where that thought was going because Alex’s lips had brushed against my cheek so softly that I doubted they had been there at all.  
  
A small smile appeared on Alex’s face and he said, “That was ok then?”  
  
“I…yes, it was… It…was…” I stuttered. I’d had a lot of dreams about what Alex’s lips would feel like against my skin, but now that it had happened, my mind was in a whirl. I couldn’t focus on one topic; my hand coming up to stroke my cheek involuntarily.  
  
“Good, because I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.” Alex said, looking at his hands, which he was twisting rapidly.  
  
I was still in shock – pure and utter shock – that Alex had kissed me of his own free will, but even so, I knew that something was up.  
  
“What’s up?” I asked, taking one of his hands in mine and running my fingers gently over his palm.  
  
“It’s just, that since you started this ‘courting’ thing,” He began, glancing at me briefly before returning his gaze to the horizon, “I don’t know what to do when I’m with you.”  
  
I could see how hard this was for him to articulate, so I let him talk at his own pace and didn’t try to encourage him.  
  
“It’s like you’re my best friend, but at the same time you’re not. You’re something else, that’s out of my reach, even if you are trying to win me over.” Alex shrugged, “I don’t know.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” I said, nudging him with a shoulder, trying to lift Alex out of this mood he’d got himself into, “I’m ‘out of your reach’ you say?”  
  
“Well, my brain thinks so at any rate.”  
  
“Tell your brain that it can fuck off where I’m concerned,” I said, “Because I’m gonna continue to try to win you over till Christmas. You don’t have to make a decision here and now. You can do that later on.”  
  
I stood up, holding out a hand to Alex. He grabbed it and let me pull him up. After gathering all the blanket, we began to walk back towards Alex’s house. On the way there, I casually slipped my free hand into Alex’s and held it all the way back, without him pulling away.


	10. Day 22: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll Take You There - Sleeping With Sirens.

_“I'll take you there_  
_Always be there_  
_Please take me there…”_  
\- **I’ll Take You There, Sleeping With Sirens.**

* * *

As I walked leisurely to where Jack had requested to meet me – on the edge of the woods near school – I wondered what he had planned. It had snowed during the night, so my converse-clad feet crunched in the snow. Christmas suddenly felt very near, and that reminded me that soon I would have to make a decision whether or not I’d take Jack as my boyfriend.  
  
But I wouldn’t think of that. For now, it would do just to enjoy whatever Jack had planned for today. He hadn’t given anything away at school, and it was bugging me. Normally, I could get Jack to tell me anything (not _everything_ ) if I put my mind to it. Annoyingly, he’d kept the secret from me when I’d pestered him about it.  
  
Then again, I guessed that keeping the secret that he liked _(loved possibly?)_ me from me, would have given him a great advantage.  
  
As I approached the place where Jack should have been standing, I noticed a trail of lights leading into the forest. I looked around, there was no Jack, but there was a note on a nearby tree saying ‘ALEX’ on the front. I picked it up and read it.  
  
It said:  
  
_Alex,_  
_I’m at the end of the lights._  
_Follow them,_  
_Jack. :)_  
  
I smiled. Jack could be very sweet when he wanted to be, and because of this, I began to follow the trail of lights. I admired them as I went further into the rapidly darkening forest. If it wasn’t for the fact that I knew Jack was in here somewhere, I would have been scared. I continued down the path, minding the uneven ground, and sure enough, I came across a clearing.  
  
In the middle of the clearing was Jack, who was smiling at me as I gazed around, taking in the fairy lights that circled the area, lighting Jack and the checked blanket he was sitting on up. He had a basket in front of him. I wondered what was in there. I sat down next to him, pulling my thick purple Ravens hoodie closer to my body. The cold air went down my back.  
  
“You cold?” Jack asked.  
  
My eyes snapped to him and nodded, “Yeah, a little bit.”  
  
Jack pulled another blanket from the pile next to him and passed it to me. I draped it around my shoulders gratefully.  
  
“Thanks.” I smiled.  
  
Jack opened the basket and a wonderful smell came out.  
  
“Oh my God, what is that?” I gasped, sniffing the air.  
  
He grinned, putting a hand into the basket and pulling out a covered dish, “It’s just some ham and cheese sandwiches with chocolate tiffin for after.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” I accepted the sandwich, adjusting the blankets around my shoulders a little, and promptly moaned as the warm bread hit my senses, “You didn’t mention that it was warm!”  
  
He shrugged, biting into his own sandwich, “I don’t mention a lot of things.”  
  
“That’s probably true.” I replied, devouring my sandwich and immediately going for a second.  
  
“Nice then?”  
  
“Well yeah.”  
  
Jack smiled, a secret sort of smile that made me think.  
  
“You made these didn’t you?” I said, pausing in eating my fucking gorgeous sandwich.  
  
His brown eyes went wide and he replied, “Y-yeah. I did.”  
  
I nodded, “Well, it’s good, really good.”  
  
My best friend’s face went red, and he ducked his head.  
  
I continued, swallowing the last of my sandwich, “They are. I love them.”  
  
“Thanks.” Jack mumbled, barely loud enough for me to hear him, still not lifting his head.  
  
I stared at him for a brief moment, and then, making a split-second decision, I lifted his chin up by my fingers gently.  
  
“Lex…”  
  
I pressed a finger to his lips, “Shush Jacky.”  
  
And then I pressed a sweet, sweet kiss to his lips just for a minute. His lips were slightly chapped but soft at the same time. I didn’t know how that worked. As soon as Jack’s tongue slid along my lips, however, I pulled away and looked at him.  
  
Jack’s eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly open in shock.  
  
“W-why did you do that?” He asked, blinking rapidly.  
  
I shrugged, “Why not?”  
  
With that said, I moved on to the tiffin, which melted in my mouth. He had a talent for making these things. I said as much to Jack, who still stared at me in pure shock.  
  
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” I said flippantly, cramming the last of the tiffin in my mouth and then lying back on the blanket.  
  
As Jack finally snapped out of it and wrapped his arms cautiously around me, I thought that I should have Jack cook for me more often.


	11. Day 21: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backseat Serenade - All Time Low.

_“Oh god, I'm sick of sleeping alone_   
_You're salty like a summer day_   
_Kiss the pain away_   
_To your radio…”_   
**\- Backseat Serenade, All Time Low.**

* * *

Yesterday had been perfect. It had been something out of a dream. After I’d walked Alex to his house, I’d pinched myself, just to make sure that I’d hadn’t dreamt it all up. But no, to my surprise and joy, it had _actually_ happened.  
  
And now I was in Alex’s bedroom with him, drinking his infamous hot chocolate – like seriously, his hot chocolate was out of this world – and watching meaningless TV. We were curled together, his side pressing against mine. That made me sure that this wasn’t another dream.  
  
Since I figured out that I wanted him in more than just a best friend kind of way, my dreams had taken a turn for the expected. They were all about doing simple, ‘boyfriend’ things with him. Like going to the cinema and holding his hand through the entire movie, or just lying on a hill, looking at the stars while having the freedom to kiss him softly. It was always painful to wake up and know that those dreams that I loved and hated in equal measure would never some true.  
  
Until now it seemed, I reflected, squeezing Alex’s hand with my free one. I smiled, before I’d came up with this idea to ‘court’ him. It was a good idea, and judging by the way he smiled at me and gently squeezed my hand back, it was working.  
  
But I’m not going to think about that right now, when it could easily turn out that it’s just my brain exaggerating Alex’s behaviour so I think that he’s falling for me when in actual fact he’s not.  
  
“What you thinking about?” Alex asked quietly, rubbing a finger across the back of my hand.  
  
I smiled, “Nothing important Lex.”  
  
He gave me a look which said that he wasn’t convinced. I sighed.  
  
“Just thinking… ‘bout me doing this courting thing…” I said, shrugging my shoulders helplessly, “And I just dunno…”  
  
Alex’s reply was quiet as I heard him put his mug down, “Whether or not it’s working?”  
  
I blushed and ducked my head, “Well…yes. But I don’t want to force you to answer before Christmas.”  
  
“It’s ok,” He said, “I’ve got to admit that it is nice, having someone who cares about me giving me gifts and the like. It really is. And I don’t want to give you an answer before I’m ready to give one.”  
  
After yesterday, Alex indirectly saying that he would have an answer for me on Christmas Day made me grin widely. I could only hope that it would be a good one – as in one that said yes he would be my boyfriend. Fuck, I hoped that would be his answer when Christmas came around.  
  
“Jack?”  
  
“Yeah Lex?” I said, looking at him and silently admiring his glowing hair. He looked perfect no matter what he was doing.  
  
“I…enjoyed that kiss yesterday. More than I had expected to.”  
  
My heartbeat increased and I managed to stutter out, “O-oh yeah?”  
  
Alex nodded.  
  
Before I could say anything else, Alex’s Mum was yelling up the stairs that my Mum was here. I remembered that I was going Christmas shopping with her.  
  
I sighed, but as I left Alex’s room, I gathered my courage and pressed a kiss to Alex’s cheek. He was left stunned as I quickly darted out of his room.


	12. Day 20: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty Visitors, Arctic Monkeys.

_“Tricking through the morning,_  
_The tramp with the trampoline under his arm,_  
_Shifts past your whiskers,_  
_So spark is a charm with the barking alarm,_  
_Weighs coil 'til the corner is turned…”_  
**\- Pretty Visitors, Arctic Monkeys.**

* * *

“Hey Jack.” I said in my phone, kicking a stone into the road. I was walking to Jack’s house.  
  
Jack’s sleepy voice greeted me, “Why are you calling me Lex?”  
  
“D’you wanna go for a walk?” I felt nervous for asking, but what could go wrong? Jack already liked me.  
  
“Yeah, sure, just give me a few minutes to get dressed and then I’ll meet you-“  
  
I cut him off with, “Well, I’m already outside your house. Might wanna put a hat on, it’s cold.”  
  
“Speaking because you haven’t got one?”  
  
I heard him stumble around, obviously trying to get dressed without getting off the phone. At his sentence, I became aware of how cold my ears were. I laughed.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Typical,” I could imagine Jack shaking his head on the other end of the phone, “Fine, I’ll bring you one.”  
  
“Don’t make it sound like such a hardship Jacky.”  
  
He laughed, “But you know it is!”  
  
“Is not!”  
  
“Is too!”  
  
“Jack, we sound like children.” I said, laughing as I walked.  
  
“Well, that’s what we aren’t we?” He replied, “Are you here yet?”  
  
I turned the corner and Jack was standing outside his house, clad in jeans, converse and a jacket complete with a sung black beanie on his head. In short, he looked adorable. I grinned uncontrollably.  
  
“Hey Jack!” I called, as he turned towards me, a grin light up his face.  
  
“Lex!” He said, walking towards me.  
  
When he got to me, I pulled him into a hug and silently revelled in his warmth. It was to be expected, Jack had just come out of his home, but even so, I enjoyed hugging him. Jack put the hat on my head and I smiled, tugging it so it covered my ears.  
  
“Why are we going for a walk in the cold?” Jack asked as we began to walk down the street.  
  
“Don’t you want to spend time with me?!” I said, in mock offence, putting a hand on my chest.  
  
He laughed, suddenly grabbing my hand and pressing kisses to my knuckles. I gasped in surprise and shock, but then I smiled as he let go.  
  
“How that was ok?” He said nervously.  
  
The feel of his soft lips on my skin had made it tingle in a good way, so I couldn’t complain. My smile widened, “Y-yeah it was.”  
  
Jack smiled in relief, exhaling a breath of air and said, “That’s alright then.”  
  
I smiled, grabbed his hand and then tugged him further down the street. I pulled him all the way to the local park, where we’d spent many days hanging with Rian and Zack after school, and opened the gate. I pushed him through and continued towards the swings. I sat on one and Jack sat on the one next to me.  
  
A question occurred to me.  
  
“Why me?”  
  
Jack looked at me with confusion on his face, “What do you mean ‘why me’?”  
  
“I mean,” I clarified, “Why do you like me?”  
  
In the half-light of the moon and the street lamps a few feet away, I saw Jack’s eyebrows furrow in thought. After a few minutes of thinking, he had apparently come up with an answer because he started to talk in a quiet voice.  
  
“Because, you’re Alex. I mean you’re the one who agreed to listen to blink and Green Day with me and start a band,” He said, “You’re the one who wrote your own songs for the band, you’re the one who fills me with such hope that our band could _actually_ become big.”  
  
I blinked, “Thanks Jacky.”  
  
“I mean it though.”  
  
The seriousness in his voice surprised me, but it shouldn’t have surprised me. Not when I had known Jack for over five years, not when he’d supported me through some tough times, and I’d done the same for him.  
  
I was overcome with admiration for my best friend who always looked at me with such – now that I thought about it – love in his eyes. I stood up and he did the same. I placed my hand on his right shoulder and pulled him forwards, silently enjoying the look of shock in his deep brown eyes. Then I pressed a quick kiss to his nose and chuckled when I pulled away because his face was still in pure shock.


	13. Day 19: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chemicals Collide - Boys Like Girls.

_“Shut your eyes_   
_And feel the chemicals collide_   
_You and I tonight_   
_You're the sugar in my high…”_   
**\- Chemicals Collide, Boys Like Girls.**

* * *

“Hey Alex!” I called down the corridor, pushing past the people in my way but being careful not to drop what I had in my hands.  
  
I skidded to a stop next to Alex, who just looked at me. He was used to me being like an excitable puppy most of the time. I thrust the brown paper bag at him. He took it off me, glancing at me curiously. I gestured for him to open it.  
  
“Fuck, that’s smells good.” Alex almost moaned as the smell of warm croissant came from the bag and he brought it up to his mouth, biting into the soft pastry.  
  
I smiled as he devoured it. I knew he hadn’t had time to have breakfast this morning before rushing outside to meet me to walk to school. I’d decided to buy him breakfast.  
  
Crushing the paper bag into a ball, Alex said with a smile, “Thanks Jacky.”  
  
Even after a ten days of him calling me ‘Jacky’, it still managed to send a shockwave of happiness through me every time Alex called me by the nickname. It allowed me to hope that my plan was working. (I ignored the voice in the back of my head saying that Alex was only doing this because he didn’t want to lose my friendship.)  
  
“It’s fine.” I’d missed first period to fetch that croissant for him, but it was worth the telling off I’d undoubtedly get later from my parents. The smile he gave me was payment enough.  
  
I held his eyes for a moment – my lungs empty of oxygen as I gazed into those perfect chocolate brown eyes of his – and then the bell rang loudly above our heads. Alex jerked his head up towards the bell. I blinked my eyes before my thoughts could take a turn for the unsuitable for school route.  
  
Alex engulfed me in a tight hug that lasted barely long enough for me to realise it was happening and then I was watching the perfect boy shove past the people that swarmed the corridor. I stared after him until he disappeared from sight and I remembered that I had a class to get to.

* * *

Sure enough, I did get a telling off when I arrived home. Both of them wanted to know why I wasn’t in class. I sighed and decided to bite the bullet metaphorically – tell them that I loved Alex and was trying to ‘court’ him.  
  
Their reactions were predictable – Mum was joyful, happy that I had found someone that I loved, while Dad was still happy for me, but more cautious, telling me that if this plan didn’t work then I had to back off and just be Alex’s best friend. I told them that I could do it. I had done it for a dozen of years or so – what was the rest of my life?


	14. Day 18: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arabella - Arctic Monkeys.

_“Just might have tapped into your mind and soul_  
_You can't be sure…”_  
**\- Arabella, Arctic Monkeys.**

* * *

I shivered as the bitingly cold wind blew my hat off. I cursed loudly and ran after it. After a few feet of running, I had my hat back and on my head, warming my head up again.  
  
I was stood by the park, near to where Jack and I had talked a couple of days ago, waiting for Jack to appear. He had sent me a text earlier on simply saying that he wanted to meet me at the park.  
  
So here I was, stood in the cold, waiting for Jack. My hands were shoved deep in my pockets to protect them from the cold.  
  
Just as I debated whether to leave, Jack appeared from around the corner. I squinted against the wind that was causing my eyes to water. He was carrying something in his left hand. What was it?  
  
“Hi Alex.” He said, smiling.  
  
“What’s in the bag?” I asked, bypassing friendly greeting. I was curious, dammit!  
  
Jack chuckled and opened the bag. I looked inside. Bread. There was a loaf of bread in the bag.  
  
“Err…Jack what are we doing?” I questioned as we began to walk through the park.  
  
He was silent for a few minutes before pointing at the pond. I could see ducks on the water and my brain two and two together.  
  
“We’re feeding ducks?”  
  
Jack nodded, “Yeah, we are.”  
  
“Why Jack? It’s cold.” I said, nudging him with my shoulder.  
  
“Because it’s cute and so are you.”  
  
I watched as he blushed and I smiled. Jack blushing was a good sight and I wanted to be the cause of it more often.  
  
Since when did _I_ want to be the cause of Jack’s blushes? I asked myself silently. But I couldn’t deny that the idea wasn’t nice.  
  
When we reached the pond, Jack opened the sliced bread and passed me some. I turned to look at Jack for a brief moment, to see if he was serious, and took some bread. I threw it to the ducks and they quacked loudly as they ate the bread. Despite myself, I laughed.  
  
“You see? Fun.” Jack said, chuckling with me.  
  
He threw more bread to the ducks as I replied, “Sure.”  
  
“It is,” He said, “It really is.”  
  
I had the feeling that Jack wasn’t just talking about feeding the ducks. He was also talking about spending time with me.


	15. Day 17: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walls - All Time Low.

_“Hey there it's good to see you again,_   
_It never felt right calling this "just friends"._   
_I'm happy, if you're happy, with yourself…”_   
**\- Walls, All Time Low.**

* * *

I was in the local music store, browsing through the new releases, when Alex hugged me from behind and put his head on my shoulder. I resolutely ignored the skiver of happiness that went down my spine and greeted him.  
  
“Hey Alex.” I said.  
  
“Jack, what are you doing?” He asked.  
  
“I’m looking for a CD, care to help me?”  
  
“Sure.” He let go of my waist and began to search.  
  
“Alex?”  
  
“Yeah?” He said, looking up from a CD he was scanning.  
  
“How do you know what I’m looking for?” I asked in amusement, laughing as he realised and began to laugh as well.  
  
“That – that is a good point,” Alex said when he had stopped laughing, “What are we looking for then  
Jacky?”  
  
“The new Green Day CD.” I answered, beginning to look through newest releases.  
  
“Oh I know which on you mean!” Alex said loudly, with a smile across his face.  
  
A minute or two later, he thrust the CD in front of my face. I blinked to allow my eyes to adjust to the object in front of me and sure enough, it was the one I wanted. I smile, not mentioning that I wanted it to give to Alex. But it would be a good surprise.  
  
“Thanks Lex!” I said, digging my wallet out of my jeans pocket and going over to the cashier.  
  
I smiled at the woman as she scanned my – Alex’s – CD and bagged it. I paid and after going out, with Alex by my side, I turned and gave him the bag.  
  
Alex’s face went from resting to surprised and happy.  
  
“Seriously?” He said, giving me an incredulous look, “You’re giving this CD to me?”  
  
I smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I am.”  
  
“Thank you!” Alex hugged me tightly.  
  
A shock of happiness went through my entire body, and my smile grew. I answered, “It’s nothing.”  
  
“But it is!” Alex insisted, “It’s amazing!”  
  
I shrugged, “Really it’s not.”  
  
He put a hand on my arm and I stopped walking. I looked at him curiously.  
  
“What?” I said just as Alex reached over and stroked my cheek with his thumb. My thoughts trailed off when his face approached mine and his lips pressed against mine. My mouth fell open when he pulled way, taking my remaining brain cells with him.  
  
“Jack?”  
  
“Huh?” I said, blinking rapidly, trying to clear my head from its cloud of happiness.  
  
“You ok?” He said, smiling a little.  
  
“Y-yeah. Just shocked…”  
  
Alex laughed, “So far, that’s been your main reaction to me kissing you.”  
  
I thought for a moment, “That’s because it’s so new. And it doesn’t happen often, so I’m always shocked when you do it voluntarily.”  
  
He nodded, agreeing with me, “Fair enough,” and we continued to walk along the street. I didn’t know where we were heading, but I couldn’t care less. Alex kept kissing me of his own accord, like he had a reason to.  
  
Was my plan working after all?


	16. Day 16: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaways - The Killers.

_“Let's take a chance baby we can't lose_  
 _Ain’t we all just runaways?_  
 _I knew it when I met you, I'm not gonna let you runaway_  
 _I knew it when I held you, I wasn't lettin' go…”_  
**\- Runaways, The Killers.**

* * *

I was in Jack’s room. We were just messing around on the internet. My original reason for going over to Jack’s was to do homework, but after about five or ten minutes, we had gotten bored of the English homework we’d been set and gone on Jack’s laptop. I laughed inside; this always happened when I went over to Jack’s to study or he came over to mine. Either way, we never got much homework done.  
  
I laughed out loud at the cat on the YouTube video. It had just gone face-first into the pool. Jack laughed as well, which made me think that it was a really nice sound to hear.  
  
“Your laugh is really nice.” I mumbled to myself, not expecting him to hear me.  
  
But he did and his cheeks went red. I remembered what I’d thought earlier on, about wanting to be the reason for Jack’s blushes. I was certainly doing that.  
  
“R-really?”  
  
I smiled, not surprised that he didn’t believe me, “Yeah, it is.”  
  
“Ok…” Jack said, smiling nervously and blushing.  
  
He clearly hasn’t got used to me giving him compliments. I gave him one about his cooking the other day and his reaction had been the same. In fact, I suddenly remembered, that was when I’d come up with the idea about making him blush more often.  
  
“It’s true Jacky.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and grinned as Jack’s blush deepened. I had to admit it was nice to be the cause of his blushes.  
  
We continued to watch YouTube videos for about half an hour before Jack said something.  
  
“Hey Alex.”  
  
“Yeah Jack?” I said.  
  
“D’you want a massage?” He asked.  
  
I thought about it for a moment, recalling how stressed I’d been over the past few weeks, and replied that I’d like one.  
  
“Well,” Jack said, turning his laptop off and moving over towards his bed, “You’re gonna have to take your t-shirt off.”  
  
I shrugged and then took my green t-shirt off, standing up from my seat next to his desk and going over to his bed. I stretched before flopping on to Jack’s bed. I shoved my face into his pillow, inhaling the scent that was purely Jack.  
  
“Alex…”  
  
I lifted my head and twisted my neck to look at my best friend (who just happened to love me) as he approached. He stood next to the bed and began to massage me. Within a few minutes of his strong, long fingers pushing my sore muscles this way and that, I was moaning like a cheap whore.  
  
“F-fuck Jack…” I groaned, pushing into Jack’s fingers. I wanted his fingers to push all the thoughts out of my head. They were getting tiresome; the thoughts of Jack wanting to be my boyfriend, him loving me, and how his plan to ‘court’ me was working – to my surprise and oddly enough, happiness. I needed to be able to relax for a bit, and if the only way for that to happen was to have Jack give me a massage, then I wasn’t complaining.  
  
Jack’s fingers slowly made their way from the top of my shoulders, pushing at my skin gently but firmly, to the small of my back, where they pushed outwards at the apparently tense muscles there. I groaned gutturally as Jack took away the tenseness and replaced it with a loose, shaky feeling that I couldn’t quite describe.  
  
“Jack, fucking hell… fuck fuck…” I mumbled as he continued to massage me, going back up my back, leaving me an incoherent mumbling mess.  
  
When he finally finished and gave me my t-shirt back, I was so relaxed I couldn’t find it in me to care that I’d just put my t-shirt on inside out.  
  
“Alex, your t-shirt is on inside out.” Jack said, chuckling quietly.  
  
I couldn’t muster up a glare to throw at him, instead I just whined, “I don’t care Jacky.”  
  
He sighed, “C’mere Lex.”  
  
Jack pulled my t-shirt off, righted it for me, and shoved it over my head again.  
  
I smiled in thanks at him, and then let myself fall back onto Jack’s bed for the second time today.  
  
“Alex,” Jack said, dragging out the ‘L’ in my name, “You’ve got to move. You’ve gotta go home.”  
  
Like a stubborn five year old, I shook my head and grumbled, “No, comfy here Jacky. Not moving.”  
  
“Alex, seriously.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Fine, I’ll call your mum, tell her you’re staying over,” He said, “Grab something of mine to sleep in yeah?”  
  
As he left the room, I nodded and mentally decided that I had to get up to change out of my skinny jeans and t-shirt. When he came back, bringing two mugs of hot chocolate in each hand and an unopened packet of biscuits tucked under his left arm, I was dressed in a pair of Jack’s checked PJ bottoms and an old blink-182 t-shirt.  
  
I took the hot chocolate Jack gave to me gratefully, letting it warm up my hands, and opened the biscuits, offering the first one to Jack. He took it and dunked it in his hot chocolate. We arranged ourselves so we could fit under Jack’s duvet without spilling any of our hot chocolate.  
  
“Your mum wasn’t surprised to hear that you were staying at mine.” Jack said, taking a bite of his soggy biscuit.  
  
I laughed, “Why would she be? We’ve spent a lot of time at each other’s houses.”  
  
“That’s very true.”


	17. Day 15: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real Thing - Boys Like Girls.

_“'Cause this is the real thing_   
_Love changes everything_   
_This is night when every heart's exploding_   
_The real thing…”_   
**\- Real Thing, Boys Like Girls.**

* * *

For today’s gift, I had a jigsaw puzzle. I’d seen it earlier on my way back from school and brought it on impulse. I hoped that Alex would like it.   
  
Yesterday had been a surreal experience. Having Alex in – well,  _on_ at least – my bed and moaning. That had been like several dreams I’d had since realising that loved Alex.   
  
I knocked on the Gaskarth’s door. After a few moments, Alex opened the door, letting the warm air seep out in the cold air. Without words, he beckoned me in.   
  
I smiled as I gave Alex the jigsaw so I could take my coat and hat off. It had been snowing again so I’d wrapped up warm at my Mum’s insistence when she had heard that I was going to be walking around to Alex’s. Once I’d done that, I took the jigsaw from Alex and let him lead me into his living room.   
  
“Where’s your family?” I asked as I settled down on the carpet with my back against the couch and my legs curled under me. I opened the box and upended the pieces onto the floor.   
  
“They’re out, doing some Christmas shopping.” Alex replied, sitting opposite me.   
  
I nodded as I spread the pieces out so we could see what we had. I flipped over a dozen or so pieces of the jigsaw. Before long, Alex and I were fitting the pieces together to form the frame and beginning to fill in the rest jigsaw.   
  
“Do you enjoy spending time with me?”   
  
My head jerked up in surprise. It had been quiet in the living room until Alex had spoken and it made me jump. I blinked, registering the question posed.   
  
“Uh…yeah?” I said, thinking about how amazing it was that Alex trusted me that much, “I mean, I love you, of course I like spending time with you.”   
  
“You love me?” He said.   
  
In a flash of understanding, I realised that this was the first time I’d said ‘I love you’ to Alex. Aloud anyway, I’d said in my head loads since I’d fallen for him but never aloud. My cheeks turned red and I looked down at the ground, staring at the jigsaw.   
  
“Can I take that back?” I said nervously, wanting to rewind the past few minutes.   
  
“Jack…”   
  
I looked up and into Alex’s brown eyes. I gulped.   
  
“It’s not bad that you’ve told me that,” He said, “It’s actually…kind of…nice.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Yeah.” Alex said and refused to say anything more. 


	18. Day 14: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustland Fairytale - The Killers.

_“He'd look just like you'd want him to_   
_Some kind of slick chrome American prince…”_   
**\- Dustland Fairytale, The Killers.**

* * *

“Fuck you Jack!” I yelled, chasing after him. We were baking cookies and Jack had just sprayed me with flour. The cookies were in the oven with the timer set to go off in twenty-five minutes, and Jack was so  _dead_ .   
  
I swept a handful of leftover flour into my hands as I passed the counter and prepared to launch it at Jack’s hair. He ducked, letting the hair fly over his head and making more mess on the floor for us to clean up later. But right then, I couldn’t think about that too much, not when Jack had a glint in his eyes that I knew meant trouble.   
  
Hearing that Jack loved me yesterday had given me a boost and I had stayed up late last night thinking about how my best friend loved me and how he could love me for being…well me. It was beyond my understanding how Jack could love me, a skinny teenager who had pink hair and like to play guitar and write lyrics, but I wasn’t going to dwell on that. Right now, I needed to get out of the way of Jack and his handful of flour.   
  
He threw it and it burst into a cloud of white stuff in my face. I spat a mouthful back at him.   
  
“You. Are. Dead.” I said just before launching myself at him. We fell on the floor, which was covered in flour, and I suddenly realised that I was straddling him, my knees on either side of his hips. Eh. Whatever.   
  
I bent down and brushed my lips against his as my hands pinned Jack down by his shoulders. I pulled myself up and looked him in the eye. They were blown wide, only a thin ring of white visible to me, and his cheeks had turned red. And I knew it was the position we were in, that I was causing this reaction, and I kind of loved it. Having this much power over him was, without a doubt, intoxicating.   
  
To shake myself out of my thoughts, I pressed a hard kiss to Jack’s lips. I heard him gasp quietly before responding to me. His tongue slipped out of his mouth and traced gently along my bottom lips. I opened my mouth and our tongues entwined. We began to make out and before I knew it, the timer was going off.   
  
Grumbling under my breath, I stood up and extended my hand down to Jack. He accepted it and let me help him up.   
  
As I opened the oven, steam rose up, and I grabbed the oven tray with the cookies on. I put it on the counter and promptly slapped one of Jack’s hand away.   
  
“Not yet Jack!” I said, closing the oven.   
  
I turned around in time to see him pout at me.   
  
“But…they’re nicest when they’ve just come out of the oven…” Jack protested.   
  
Later, I would say that I also happened to want one, not that Jack’s pout persuaded me. It wasn’t that at all. 


	19. Day 13: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fool's Holiday - All Time Low.

_“Wrap me up like a present and put me away,_   
_and when it gets cold I'll be yours…”_   
**\- Fool’s Holiday, All Time Low.**

* * *

“Alex?” I said into the phone trying to be quiet as my parents were asleep.   
  
“J-Jack…”   
  
“Alex, where are you?” I asked, concerned because Alex sounded cold.   
  
“Out - outside your house,” Alex replied, “L-let me in.”   
  
I jumped off my bed and padded downstairs quietly to open the door for Alex. As I let him in and led him back upstairs, I wondered why he was at my house in the middle of the night.   
  
Once, we’d gotten ourselves comfy on my bed, I asked Alex why he was at my house.   
  
He looked down at his lap as he answered, “Ah…well…”   
  
I smirked, “Go on Lex.”   
  
“I – I had a nightmare… A-and it was…” He mumbled the last few words.   
  
I couldn’t make them out, so I looked at him in earnest, hoping that he would elaborate, which he did a few minutes later.   
  
“It was scary, we were on a bridge and you were almost falling off and I couldn’t do  _anything!_ All I could do was watch as you went over and into the water. Fuck, I woke up sweating, and shit, the first thing I needed to do was make sure you were ok…”   
  
While I was pleased that Alex had had a dream about me, I was sad that it’d had been a nightmare. I could sympathise, I had similar ones about him dying far too often for my liking.   
  
“D’you wanna stay here tonight?” I asked, unable to keep the thought from my lips.   
  
He nodded shyly, “If you don’t mind…”   
  
I laughed softly, “Like I’d deny you the chance to spend in my bed.”   
  
Too later, I realised that what I’d said could have a double meaning, but thankfully, as Alex changed into a spare pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, he didn’t seem to notice my unintentional innuendo. That was good; I didn’t think I could deal with him being awkward with me, not when he came to me for comfort.   
  
“You ok now then?” I asked quietly, as he climbed into the bed and nicked a pillow to put his head on.   
  
“Mmhm,” He mumbled into the pillow, “Yeah. Come cuddle?”   
  
And how could I refuse such a request from the one I loved with all my heart? The answer: I couldn’t. I joined him in bed and put my arms around his waist, feeling him adjust his position in my bed so his head was on my shoulder.   
  
I fell asleep listening to Alex breath slow and steady. 


	20. Day 12: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This = Love - The Script.

_“Love is why we do it_   
_Love is worth the pain_   
_Love is why we fall down…”_   
**\- This = Love, The Script.**

* * *

I walked into school with Zack on my right side and Rian on my left. I would have walked with Jack as usual, but when I woke up he’d left a note saying to go on without him. As I headed towards my locker, I silently wondered what it was that was so important that I had to walk to school without him. I kind of hoped that it was related to his plan to ‘court’ me.   
  
I opened my locker to dump the books that I wouldn’t need until after lunch, and found a red rose sitting on the bottom of the locker. Instantly, I knew who it was from and blushed. I looked up and down the corridor, ignoring Rian and Zack’s questions about the rose for now. I spotted Jack at the end of the corridor. I thought I could see him smiling nervously, so I waved. He began to force his way towards us.   
  
“What’s with the rose dude?” Zack asked.   
  
My blush deepened, “Er…nothing.”   
  
“That blush says differently!” Rian exclaimed, pointing at me, “Now tell us.”   
  
Just then, Jack arrived and put his arms around my waist. I leant into his embrace instinctively, smiling.   
  
“Oh.” Rian said.   
  
Jack laughed, his chest vibrating against my back, and replied, “Yeah, I’m trying to win him over. I think it’s working.”   
  
I tilted my head up to look at him and raised an eyebrow, “You do, do you?”   
  
He nodded, “Yeah, I really do.”   
  
“W-what?” Rian stuttered.   
  
I looked back at out two friends. They were staring at Jack and I in shock. I silently wondered why. And then I realised – they must not have known about Jack’s infatuation with me. Leaning back further into Jack’s embrace, I decided to let Jack explain his plan to ‘court’ me.   
  
“Well, I – I realised that I was gay and in love with Alex in tenth grade – that’s why I stopped dating girls that year if you remember?” When they nodded, Jack continued, his voice vibrating against my back again, “And since giving him a Valentine’s Day present anonymously, I decided to ask him if I could ‘court’ him until Christmas Day.”   
  
“What happens on Christmas Day?” Zack asked, looking curious.   
  
It was then that I decided to chip in, “On Christmas Day, I decide if I want to be Jack’s boyfriend or not.”   
  
“Ok then…” Rian looked less confused.   
  
I laughed again and then the bell for our first class went. I untangled myself from Jack’s embrace, disliking that I had to, and we began to walk down the corridor towards our first class of the day.   
  
I was still holding the red rose in my hand. I smiled. 


	21. Day 11: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran.

_“And you will never know_   
_Just how beautiful you are to me_   
_But maybe I'm just in love_   
_When you wake me up…”_   
**\- Wake Me Up, Ed Sheeran.**

* * *

“Hello Jack.” Alex said, smiling at me.   
  
“Hey,” I replied, thinking that Alex’s smile was the best thing I’d see all day, “You coming in?”   
  
He laughed as I let him into my house. My parents had gone out for tea, leaving me with the empty house, so I’d decided to invite Alex over. Spending the day with Alex was better that spending it by myself.   
  
“What we gonna do?” Alex asked, as we went into the kitchen.   
  
“We are going to be making a blanket fort,” I explained, opening the fridge door and looking for something for us to eat, “After we’ve had some lunch.”   
  
“Blanket fort!” Alex exclaimed, clapping his hands together and making me laugh.   
  
“Thought you might like that.” I said, chuckling as I passed the butter, ham, cheese and tomato to Alex, who took it across to the counter.   
  
I grabbed the bread and began to make our sandwiches, spreading butter on the bread.   
  
“What d’you want?” I gestured at the two different fillings on the counter.   
  
“Both.” He said from where he was filling up two glasses of water at the sink.   
  
Quickly I made two sandwiches, both with cheese, ham and tomato, and then we went into the living room. We ate our sandwiches, watching a bit of TV as we did so. Once our sandwiches were eaten, I took the empty plates, and then we set about making our blanket fort.

* * *

“Jacky! This isn’t working!” Alex whined from underneath the blanket.   
  
I laughed as I untangled him from the blanket. When he surfaced, he was smiling brilliantly and I couldn’t help myself. I gave him a brief kiss on the nose, smiling when he blushed and ducked his head.   
  
After the fort was built, we climbed in and laid down on the bed of pillows and blankets. Something was missing. Oh! I jumped up and said, “Wait here!”   
  
I heard Alex say, “Like I’d move from here! I’m comfy!” as I left the room, dashing towards the kitchen cupboard. In my haste, I almost slid into the kitchen door, and then I grabbed the fairy lights out of the cupboard. When I got back to Alex, I strung the lights up around the fort, plugging them in, and then I crawled into the fort. I snuggled into Alex’s side.   
  
“Hey Jack…”   
  
I turned my head towards my love, mumbling, “Yeah Lex?”   
  
“Can we make out?”   
  
I blinked and then said, “Yeah sure.”   
  
As we began to make out, I wondered when Alex had been so eager to make out with me. Last I knew, he was straight. But I’d be damned if I was going to let this chance slip by.   
  
With that final thought, I opened my mouth for Alex’s tongue. 


	22. Day 10: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Words - The Script.

_“There are no words,_   
_Yeah, I swear this much is true,_   
_There ain't a word in this world that describes you…”_   
**\- No Words, The Script.**

* * *

Unknown to my parents, the fact that Jack was courting me was messing with my head. I mean, he’s my best friend and then he loves me. But my parents didn’t have to know that I spent most of last night thinking about how I’d felt when we’d made out in the blanket fort yesterday. It had been euphoric, feeling his lips against mine, and now, when Jack causally had his arm around my shoulders, it felt like he could hear my heartbeat as it steadily increased.   
  
I had come to the conclusion, that after yesterday, maybe – just maybe – I loved him. That was a lot to realise in a single night, hence the reason I was now all but falling asleep against Jack’s side. I didn’t think my parents noticed, or at least I hoped they didn’t.   
  
I knew they wouldn’t mind if I was gay, but it was more the fact that they’d be worried about my lack of sleep.   
  
I must’ve drifted off because a minute later, Jack was shaking me gently awake, saying, “Lex? You tired?”   
  
I couldn’t muster the effort to do more than nod slowly, snuggling against Jack’s side again. He was warm and comfy, I decided as I let my eyelids slip closed.   
  
“Jack, you should take him up to his room.” I heard my Mum say.   
  
I felt rather than heard Jack chuckle, “I guess I should. It’s not like he’s talking about anything.”   
  
“Unfair Jacky.” I mumbled as he pulled me up tenderly and began to take me upstairs.   
  
About halfway up the stairs, I said, “My lack of sleep is your fault.”   
  
“How so?” He asked.   
  
When we got to my bedroom, Jack pushed open the door and led me to my bed. I flopped on to it and attempted to rid myself of my t-shirt. Jack laughed at my pitiful attempt and helped me to take off my t-shirt.   
  
It was quiet for a moment before Jack asked, cautiously, “Alex…do you want me to take of your jeans?”   
  
I thought for a second and then nodded. I felt his fingers undo my belt and take it out of my belt loops, coiling it before placing on my desk. Then he undid the button on my jeans and the zipper. He began to slide them over my hips, his fingers making goose bumps appear on my now bare legs, and down to my ankles.   
  
As he tucked me in, I remembered that I hadn’t answered his question about why I hadn’t got much sleep last night.   
  
“Because I was too busy thinking about you.” I said quietly as he left the room, turning the lights off as he went.   
  
Jack paused in the doorway, turned back and gave me a soft kiss on the lips that left my heart beating double-quick. I smiled at him in the dim room, and then he left the room. 


	23. Day 9: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peppermint Winter - Owl City.

_“Run outside_   
_So starry eyed_   
_A snowball fight breaks out_   
_And winter has finally begun…”_   
**\- Peppermint Winter, Owl City.**

* * *

“Jack! It snowed!” Alex said, kicking some snow to the side as we walked.   
  
I chuckled, “Yes Alex, I can see.”   
  
“Can we have a snowball fight?” He asked.   
  
Because he was in front of me, I thought it would be easier to make a snowball and throw it at him. I grinned as I packed the snow together to form a ball and threw it at Alex. He whirled around and glared at me. I laughed as he made one quickly and chucked it directly at my face. I ducked, standing back up only to get another to my face.   
  
“I’m going to kill you Alex.” I said, beginning to run to him.   
  
He must’ve picked up on my place because he started to run away from me. I caught the back of his jacket and yanked him backwards, so I could push snow in his face. He spluttered.   
  
“That is it!” Alex said, his hands looping around my neck and pulling my lips to his.   
  
My words were muffled by his lips, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. I was kissing Alex in the snow. It was like a dream I’d had a while back, except that one ended with us in my bed…and yeah, I was in public, so I was going to stop thinking about that now and just concentrate on the feel of Alex’s lips against mine and how they took away the coldness of the air around us. It was amazing and I wished I could do it all the time.   
  
I forgot that time had a meaning as I stood there and kissed Alex. It was wonderful.   
  
Maybe by Christmas Day, I  _could_ do this whenever I felt like it.   
  
I could only hope, but with the way Alex was kissing me, I suddenly felt pretty certain that he was falling for me. 


	24. Day 8: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guts - All Time Low.

_“Is this what it feels like?_   
_Finding out_   
_That I've got the guts_   
_To say anything…”_   
**\- Guts, All Time Low.**

* * *

Yesterday, kissing Jack in the snow had been awesome. It had made me think about the kind of stuff we’d do when we were  _actually_ boyfriends. And yes, I was considering that option. After all, I seemed to have fallen for him. I didn’t know if it was defiantly  _love_ , but it felt similar. But then, how would I know? I’d never been in love.   
  
“Hey Alex.” Jack said as he approached me, a smile on his face   
  
I grinned, “Hey Jack.”   
  
He clearly hadn’t noticed what was hung above me, but Zack certainly had.   
  
“Hey guys.”   
  
I turned to look at him and Rian, who was chuckling to himself. I said, “What?”   
  
Rian’s chuckling turned into fully fledged laughter as Zack answered, “Look up.”   
  
I glanced upwards at the celling of Rian’s basement. Mistletoe.   
  
“Mistletoe?” Jack said, putting an arm around my waist, “Really? If you wanted to see us make out, you could’ve just asked us.”   
  
“It – wasn’t – my – idea!” Rian managed to get out in between his laughter, clutching his stomach.   
  
“Why don’t I believe you?” I said, hyper-aware of Jack’s warm breath on my neck and the feeling of his hand through my t-shirt.   
  
As Jack’s face got near to mine, he whispered quietly so only I could hear, “Lex, wanna give ‘em a show?”   
  
I didn’t have time to respond before Jack’s mouth was on mine, hot and demanding. His tongue soon forced its way into my mouth and I didn’t resist. I let out a groan, forgetting that we had an audience. When he pulled away, Jack’s eyes were blown wide and he was panting. There was no doubt in my mind that I looked the exact same.   
  
“Whoa guys…” Zack said after several minutes of silence.   
  
I blinked, and I remembered that we were in Rian’s basement celebrating the end of school.   
  
“Huh. Who would’ve known that you’d take it that seriously.” Rian said.   
  
I smiled and pulled Jack into a hug, murmuring, “Next time, we don’t stop.”   
  
“Oh God…” 


	25. Day 7: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did It Hurt? - Never Shout Never.

_"Do you know, do you know,_  
_It was love from the first time we touched..."_  
**\- Did It Hurt?, Never Shout Never.**

* * *

"Hey Alex," I said, leaning back on Alex's bed and making myself comfy, "D'you remember how we met?"  
  
"Of course I do!" He exclaimed, "How could I not?"  
  
I laughed softly, pressing into Alex's side a little bit more. Just over three weeks ago and I wouldn't have believed that this would be possible, cuddling Alex on his bed. But it was and I was ridiculously happy about this fact, but I did have to answer Alex.  
  
"Yeah, you were tryna' find an empty seat, weren't you rocking that douchy haircut back then?" I nudged him to let him know that I was joking.  
  
"Hey! I'll have you know that my hair back then was my best!" Alex protested, flipping his dyed pink hair across my face. I blew it out of my face as he continued, "You loved it!"  
  
I chuckled again, my chest vibrating against Alex's back, "No, I love you." I paused for a minute, "Which, I guess, includes your douchy pink hair that you have now."  
  
He laughed and pecked me on the nose, "You told me that I looked hot with pink hair!"  
  
I smiled, "That is _very_ true."  
  
I moved my lips to his and no more talking was done that evening. We just made out until Alex decided he was too tired and fell asleep wrapped around me. I didn't mind and drifted off myself after a few minutes admiring his gorgeous face.


	26. Day 6: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change Your Mind - The All-American Rejects.

_“Don't run away,_   
_Stop feeling fine._   
_It's better than your worst, your worst day._   
_No words to say, I'll give you mine,_   
_and pocket all the hurt, and just stay…”_   
**\- Change Your Mind, The All-American Rejects.**

* * *

“Jack?” I said.   
  
From the other end of the phone, he replied, mid-yawn, “Y-yeah Lex?”   
  
“Can you come to the field by school?” I asked, sounding pathetic even to my own ears.   
  
“Alex, why are you at the field?”   
  
“I – I just am. Meet me?” I said, pleading in my voice, “Please Jacky?”   
  
He yawned again before agreeing, albeit unwillingly, saying that he’d see me in ten minutes. I stood and waited, shivering slightly in the coolness of the air. But I guessed that I could ignore that my fingers were cold if Jack was coming, and that meant that I could vent to him. First though, I had to wait for him to get here.   
  
“Alex!”   
  
I turned around and instantly recognised the figure of Jack walking towards me. I sighed sadly. I didn’t want to tell him why I had called him out in the middle of the night, but I felt that I owed it to him to tell him. After all, I’d got him out of his bed and into the cold.   
  
“Aren’t you freezing?” Was his first question upon reaching me.   
  
I shrugged, I didn’t really care.   
  
“Have this.” He said as he took off his hat and put it on my head. It was remarkably warm. I smiled at him.   
  
“So,” Jack said, as we began to walk towards his house unconsciously, “Why did you have to wake me up?”   
  
“Well…” I paused, no sure I wanted to divulge  _exactly_ why I wanted him here, “I dunno, I just did.”   
  
“That makes no sense Lex.”   
  
“I – I know. But I don’t know how to explain it. I just don’t know.”   
  
Jack cocked his head to one side, looking at me curiously, “Don’t know what?”   
  
“Whether…”  _The love I feel for you is true_ I thought.   
  
“Whether what?”   
  
“I’ve been having feelings about you…and I just…” I gulped, not wanting to look at Jack as I said the rest of my sentence, “Don’t know where they’re true or not.”   
  
We’d reached his house I noticed, and Jack let us is. We went upstairs to his room silently, and then once Jack had closed his bedroom door and we’d settled on the bed opposite each other, with the bedside light , he spoke.   
  
“You’re having  _feelings_ for me?”   
  
I heard the veiled happiness in his voice and cursed myself for having to say the next sentence.   
  
“But I don’t know yet if they’re just friendship feelings.”   
  
“Oh.”   
  
“I’m sorry Jack, I am.” I said, giving him a pat on the shoulder, “But I need to think.”   
  
“It’s – that’s fine.”   
  
I gave him a hug, feeling immensely sorry for my best friend, who was having to wait for an answer.   
  
“I’m sorry.” I repeated.   
  
“Like I said, it’s fine Alex.” Jack said, leaning over to switch the lamp off, “Let’s go to sleep.”   
  
As the room was plunged into darkness, I thought that Jack sounded even more wrecked than when he’d asked to ‘court’ me. 


	27. Day 5: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last For A Night) - All Time Low.

_“Dedication takes a lifetime_   
_But dreams only last for a night…”_   
**\- Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last For A Night), All Time Low.**

* * *

When I woke up this morning, it was to Alex throwing an arm across my face, hitting me as he did so. I groaned, not really wanting to be awake, but then got up anyway and went downstairs. I found my family getting ready to go somewhere.   
  
“Where you goin’?” I asked sleepily.   
  
“We’re going out for the day,” My Mum said, smiling, “I trust that you and Alex can manage to decorate the Christmas tree?”   
  
I nodded and then went to the kitchen to make a couple of mugs of coffee. One for me and one for Alex, who was no doubt waking up round about now. After the kettle had finished boiling, I poured the hot water into the mugs and made the coffee. I took it upstairs to my room, where I found Alex’s head poking out of my duvet. I smiled.   
  
“Morning Lex.” I said quietly, sitting at the bottom of my bed without spilling the coffee over Alex.   
  
He mumbled something into the pillow and then sat up, his hair sticking up in all directions.   
  
“You look cute.” I said before I could stop myself. As I gave him a mug of coffee, I watched as he whole face went red.   
  
I chuckled, “Now you look even cuter.”   
  
Alex hid his face behind the mug and I laughed.   
  
“Oh!”   
  
“What?” Alex asked, looking at me.   
  
“I just remembered that my Mum has asked us to decorate the Christmas tree.”   
  
“Cool!” He exclaimed, “Can we start now?”   
  
“Alex, we’ve got the entire day to do it.”   
  
Alex’s shoulders fell – just minutely, but I saw it anyway.   
  
“But I guess we can start now.”   
  
“Yay!”

* * *

We’d been decorating the Christmas tree for about an hour and a half, and all we’d achieved – well, what  _I’d_ achieved was wrapping Alex up in tinsel and not letting him get free.   
  
“Get me out of this fucking tinsel Jack!” Alex whined.   
  
I shook my head, “Nope, not gonna happen when you look so adorable.”   
  
“Jacky…please…”   
  
I gave him a peck on the lips and smiled, “Still not gonna happen.”   
  
“Jacky…”   
  
I laughed and then decided to give in to his whining. I began to take the tinsel off him. Once it was all off, Alex gave me a kiss to the lips in thanks. A small blush rose to my cheeks, so I turned to put the lights on the tree. 


	28. Day 4: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In The End - Snow Patrol.

_“Will you dance with me?_   
_Like we used to dance_   
_And remember how to move together…”_   
**\- In The End, Snow Patrol.**

* * *

“Hey Alex…” Jack said to me.  
  
I was lying next to him on my bed. We were listening to blink-182 in my bedroom. My parents were out. I thought that they seemed to go out a lot, but shrugged it off. It gave me more time to spend with Jack, and I wasn’t going to complain about that.  
  
“Yeah Jack?” I replied just as the music changed from _‘I Miss You’_ to _‘Feeling This.’_  
  
“D’you wanna…” Jack began before backtracking, “No, never mind…”  
  
Curiosity heightened, I sat up and poked Jack’s chest, saying, “C’mon you’ve gotta tell me now! Tell me!”  
  
He shook his head, silently telling me that he didn’t want to answer. I ignored that visible cue though as I began to tickle him.  
  
After about ten minutes of furiously tickling him, Jack gave in to my questioning.  
  
“Fine, fine…” He looked at me like he did before he asked to ‘court’ me before he spat out, all in one breath, “Doyouwannadancewithme?”  
  
I blinked slowly, my mind trying to unravel what Jack just said. Eventually, I said, “What?”  
  
“Do you wanna dance with me? I mean, it’s alright if you don’t.”  
  
I smiled shyly. No one had ever asked to dance with me before, not even previous girlfriends.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Jack’s face went red as he stood up and extended a hand to help me up. I accepted it as gracefully as I could, noticing inwardly that our hands fitted together perfectly, his fingers intertwining with mine. Jack then set his other hand on my waist, pulling me away from my bed a bit, and we began to spin.  
  
It wasn’t proper dancing, more twirling on the spot, as the music changed again. This time it was  _‘Appreciation’_ by Jimmy Eat World, but I didn’t have all my attention on the sound. Most of my attention was on the way I could feel the heat from Jack’s hand through my worn t-shirt, and the way I could feel his breathing on my neck. Before I knew what I was doing, my lips were pressing against Jack’s, seeing the surprise in his deep brown eyes.  
  
“Jack…” I said, not knowing what I was going to say.  
  
“Yes Lex?”  
  
“Thanks for dancing with me.”  
  
My best friend – who I may be in love with – smiled widely at me before kissing me again. 


	29. Day 3: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireside - Arctic Monkeys.

_“I can't explain but I want to try_   
_There's this image of you and_   
_And it goes dancing by in the morning and in the night time…”_   
**\- Fireside, Arctic Monkeys.**

* * *

Why was I outside, waiting not so patiently for Alex to arrive at my house? I wondered as I felt raindrops snake down my top. Oh yeah, because I loved the idiot. But I couldn’t call him an idiot when he’d rang me a few minutes ago, sounding so scared and helpless. And damn, if that didn’t make me want to protect him, then I didn’t know what would.   
  
My eyes caught the figure of someone running down my street, towards me. I hoped it was Alex, not just for my own sake, but for his as well, because he sounded so scared.   
  
“J-Jack!”   
  
Thank God, it was Alex.   
  
“Alex!” I said, pulling him towards the warmth of my house. He was shaking. Whether it was from the cold or from fright, I didn’t know. But there’d be time to question him about that once we were inside. I shut the door behind us and turned to look at Alex.   
  
Wordlessly, I dragged him upstairs and pushed him towards the bathroom. I opened the door and he went in. I heard him shut the door and turn shower on as I went to grab him some of my clothes. Sticking my arm through the crack between the door and the doorframe, I left the boxers, pyjama bottoms and old Green Day t-shirt on the floor near the bath.   
  
As I waited for Alex to be finished in the shower, I went to the kitchen and made us both a mug of hot chocolate. It tasted nice and it had the bonus of warming us up after being in the rain. By the time I’d made the hot chocolate and taken it upstairs, Alex had finished his shower and was dressed in my clothes, sitting on my bed.   
  
Damn, he looked good in my clothes, I thought as I gave him a mug and watched him take the first sip.   
  
“Jack…” Alex said.   
  
After taking a drink of my hot chocolate, I replied, “Yes Alex?”   
  
I sensed that this was going to be an interesting conversation, so I moved closer to him, pressing our sides together and offering him silent support.   
  
“D’you think it’s stupid? The way I’m scared when a thunderstorm comes?”   
  
“Lex…” What could I say that would ease his fears? “Of course I don’t think it’s stupid. Actually, I think it’s kind of good, the way you always,  _always_ come to me when one arrives, cause it gives me even more chance to hug you.”   
  
Alex blushed and took another drink from his mug. Gently, I prised the mug from his hands and leant over to put it, along with mine, on the floor. Then I pushed him on to his side, so I could cuddle him.   
  
As we lay there, I thought about how damn lucky I was to have Alex in my life. I felt his breathing slow as he drifted off to sleep. 


	30. Day 2: Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Losing It - Never Shout Never.

_“And all I ever wanted to do_   
_Was to fall in love_   
_Just to be in love…”_   
**\- Losing It, Never Shout Never.**

* * *

As I woke up, I realised that it was one day until Christmas, which meant that I would have to make a decision regarding whether I would be Jack’s boyfriend or not. I thought about it as I watched Jack’s chest rise and fall with the ease of sleep. I thought that I  _would_ like to be his boyfriend. The fact that I’d come to love him (I was admitting that feeling in my chest was love) only solidified my resolve to accept his request when it came tomorrow.   
  
But part of me – the foolish, doing things for the hell of it part – wanted to tell Jack  _now_ . How it felt when he looked at me and smiled that smile that I knew was only meant for me and no one else. And I’d become inwardly possessive of that smile; how fucking stupid was that?! I didn’t know when it had happened, just that it had. It was  _my_ smile. No one else could have it from Jack.   
  
“Hey Lex.”   
  
I blinked, my eyes focusing on Jack as he looked at me. I’d been so involved in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed him waking him.   
  
“Morning.” I said, smiling.   
  
“What you thinking about?” He asked.   
  
“N-nothing,” I lied, not wanting to tell him that I’d made up my mind about being his boyfriend, “Are we gonna get up?”   
  
Jack put his arms around me and closed his eyes. I took that as a ‘no’ then. I was ok with that.

* * *

It was midday when we finally got out of Jack’s bed, after a very nice make out session which I wasn’t complaining about. Once I’d been to the bathroom, I went downstairs to find Jack tucking into a candy cane. Clearing my throat so he looked at me, I raised an eyebrow.   
  
“What?” He said, crunching another candy cane.   
  
I sighed, “Why are you eating candy canes for breakfast?”   
  
As I sat down on the chair next to him, Jack replied, “Well, why not?”   
  
“Fair point. Give me one.” I held my hand out and one was put in it.   
  
Deciding this could be my moment to tease Jack as he’d done to me at Taco Bell, I opened the cellophane and began to slowly lick the cane. I put it in my mouth and slid it in and out, in and out. I heard Jack’s gasp and saw his wide eyes. I smirked, perfect. He was just where I wanted him.   
  
“What’s the matter Jacky?” I said around the candy cane.   
  
“Uh…uh… Would you believe me if I said nothing?”   
  
I chuckled, “No, I really wouldn’t.”   
  
“Then, I’ll, I’ll say something.”   
  
Absentmindedly, I slid the candy cane back into my mouth and watched with pleasure as Jack squirmed.   
  
“So me?” I asked, innocently blinking my eyelashes.   
  
“May-maybe.”   
  
“It is me.” I said, dropping the candy cane on the table in favour of putting my hand on Jack’s neck and pulling him in for a kiss. My other hand snaked down to Jack’s dick and began to stoke him through his PJ bottoms.   
  
He groaned, letting his head fall against my shoulder, and I turned my head so I could bite and suck at his neck. I could tell he was getting close so I twisted my wrist  _just so_ and with a muffled cry of ‘Alex’, he came all over the inside of his PJs. I pulled away, kissing him on the cheek.   
  
Before Jack went upstairs to clean off, he said, “It’s your fault you know, for being so damn sexy.”   
  
I shrugged, “Eh, I’m ok with that.” 


	31. Day 1: Jack's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dedication - Asking Alexandria.

_“That when there's enough love in our hearts to burst like a fuckin' supernova,_   
_Then there sure as hell's enough love in our heart, to spark that famous smile…”_   
**\- Dedication, Asking Alexandria.**

* * *

I was nervous, even more than when I first started courting Alex. The reason? I was walking to the woods located near school, where Alex had said to meet him in his text to me. It was Christmas Day. Make or break day for me. The day when my heart would be complete, or be crushed. There was no in-between. Not for me. Not today.   
  
I’d opened my presents with my family of course, and ate Christmas dinner with them. That was fine, even if I’d had a stomach that was doing constant somersaults throughout the meal.   
  
I turned down the street that led me to the woods. At the end of the street, I saw Alex, bundled up in his coat and hat, which was pulled down to his eyebrows. I laughed as I approached him.   
  
“Why are you laughing?” Alex asked, his thick eyebrows appearing from under his hat.   
  
“Just the way your eyebrows are hidden by your hat!” I said, still laughing.   
  
At least the laughter had eased my nervousness somewhat, but it was still there. The nervousness was bubbling under my skin and I felt that my smile was tight, forced to be there.   
  
“So…” I said, wanting Alex to fill in the blanks.   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Will you be my – my boyfriend?” I asked, nervousness getting the better of me.   
  
It was silent for a moment, just like when I’d asked to ‘court’ him, but then Alex said something.   
  
“Yes.” It was barely a whisper, but I heard it nonetheless and my heartbeat was thundering in my ears as a grin split my face in half.   
  
“R-really?”   
  
A smile lit up Alex’s face, “Yeah Jack. I wanna be your boyfriend.”   
  
I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a heated kiss. After a few minutes, I pulled away to find Alex smiling at me.   
  
“Oh, and another thing,” He said as we began to walk back to one of our houses, “I love you.”   
  
I blinked, that was one thing that I hadn’t expected, and said slowly, “I love you too.”   
  
Alex fucking  _loved_ me! My heartbeat doubled – it felt like it was going to burst from happiness – and a grin appeared on my face again. 


End file.
